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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. key — in music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rule — a law
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — money
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — for a lock
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rule — government
  24. capital — a city

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