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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · chip · object · mouse · stick · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. object — an aim
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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