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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — to eat
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a friend
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — government
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — a city
  24. board — a committee

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