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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — for betting
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. capital — money
  17. firm — decided
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. capital — a city
  22. toast — bread
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — the fruit

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