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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — a phone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — money
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. capital — a city
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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