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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: pitch · key · kid · craft · bore · capital · chip · deal

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — child
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bore — to drill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — to tire
  10. key — in music
  11. craft — boats
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. capital — a city
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — for betting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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