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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. rest — a break
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spring — the season
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — what's left
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — to eat

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