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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. toast — bread
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — help
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — in cards

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