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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: row · capital · craft · mate · court · club · present · chip

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. row — to paddle
  3. court — of a king
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. court — of law
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mate — a partner
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — a skill
  12. capital — a city
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. club — for dancing
  16. court — for sport
  17. row — a line
  18. present — there
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — a gift
  23. capital — money
  24. mate — a friend

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