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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. spell — magic
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — letters
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — electric
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — a measure

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