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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. land — a country
  6. present — the time now
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — of the year
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — there
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. land — ground
  24. kid — child

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