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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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