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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cell — a phone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. capital — a city
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a great time
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. capital — money

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