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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 116 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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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: rash · capital · chair · bound · chip · season · bay · game

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — of the year
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — certain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a match

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