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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ground — a position
  10. squash — to crush
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. season — of the year

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