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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. season — of the year
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — a list
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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