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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — in cards
  23. craft — boats
  24. mine — belonging to me

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