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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — a city
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. spell — magic
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spell — a short time

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