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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: pitcher · key · fall · firm · capital · ball · hand · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — help
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — money
  21. firm — steady
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fall — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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