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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chest — a box
  8. capital — a city
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chest — of your body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — the fish
  20. capital — money
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — low music

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