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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: chip · capital · chair · lie · bowl · toast

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. toast — bread
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lie — to recline
  13. capital — money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. capital — a city

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