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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 · jam · wave · mate · capital · pitcher · plane · court

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. mate — to breed
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. court — of a king
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. court — for sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. capital — a city
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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