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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a trace
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. swing — music
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — for sculpting

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