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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — money
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kid — child
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — low music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of a king
  17. firm — steady
  18. court — for sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. root — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. court — of law
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — the cause

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