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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — in cards
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. capital — money
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. capital — a city
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — to pay attention

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