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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: chip · key · sharp · capital · rock · calf · jam · racket

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a city
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — clever
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — money
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. racket — for tennis

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