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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — of the year
  4. club — a group
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — for betting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — in sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. club — for dancing

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