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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. capital — a city
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. chip — to eat

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