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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rash — hasty
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — of the year
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. field — a subject

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