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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — for betting
  4. race — the arms race
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — of the year
  11. race — a contest
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — the time now

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