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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. march — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a city
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. court — for sport
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. court — of law
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — hurry
  24. track — a song

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