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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · leaves · chip · bear · capital · land · nail · key

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. capital — a city
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — a country
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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