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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — to be able to
  7. firm — a company
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a partner
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — decided
  24. pit — a hole

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