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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. capital — money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. capital — a city
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — a series
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — a big letter

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