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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mug — a face
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. net — for catching
  13. capital — a city
  14. club — for golf
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — in a computer

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