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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chest — of your body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — a position

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