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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — for betting
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. roll — a list
  8. clip — for paper
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. roll — a cake
  13. toast — bread
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — to eat
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. season — of the year
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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