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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — of a word
  4. roll — a list
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — a match
  14. season — in sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — a cake
  24. straw — dry grass

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