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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — of ice
  12. last — final
  13. chip — for betting
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. last — finally
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chip — in a computer

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