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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — of law
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — of the year
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — for sport

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