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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — a gift
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. present — the time now
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — a city
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — there
  17. cell — a phone
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rest — a break
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chip — in a computer

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