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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — help
  9. capital — money
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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