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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chip — to eat
  6. squash — to crush
  7. game — wild animals
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. game — a match

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