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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — a committee
  6. mug — a face
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cap — of ice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — of the year

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