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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: capital · suit · land · chip · chair · season · mug · band

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. suit — to fit
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mug — a cup
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — ground
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. band — a music group
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — a leader
  19. capital — money
  20. mug — a face
  21. band — a ring
  22. season — in sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. land — to come down

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