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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 120 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: track · pit · mark · bat · capital · bulb · plane · chip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — the animal
  24. 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