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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — a leader
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wake — a trail
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bass — low music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — before a funeral

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