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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — to confront
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — for pool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — a city
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cue — a signal

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