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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — to add flavour

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