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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. staff — employees
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — a city
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rock — music
  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