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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — for betting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — of the year
  9. capital — money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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