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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.

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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: pass · sharp · chip · club · toast · capital · calf · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — for betting
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — clever
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chip — to eat

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