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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — to eat
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — money
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pop — soda
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com