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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: foot · capital · chip · net · game · bay · mouse · current

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — money
  8. net — after costs
  9. foot — a measure
  10. game — a match
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. current — of water
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — electric
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — happening now
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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