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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. capital — money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — the fish
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. capital — a big letter

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