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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — soda
  19. foot — a measure
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. land — a country
  24. capital — a city

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