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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — all right
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fine — high quality

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