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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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Word bank
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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: club · chip · last · mug · ruler · capital

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for golf
  9. capital — a city
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — a face
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — for dancing

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