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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — help
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — for betting
  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