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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.

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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: capital · club · court · track · pound · lean · chip · snap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — a song
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. court — of law
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to click
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — money
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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