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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. staff — employees

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