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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. current — of water
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — a measure
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. capital — money
  11. march — music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. game — wild animals
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — to eat

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