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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wind — moving air
  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