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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 · capital · object · chair · toast · tube · rock · spring

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — a thing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — to protest
  11. capital — a city
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. rock — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. object — an aim
  19. spring — a coil
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chair — a leader

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