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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fine — all right
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. deal — to handle

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