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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — the season
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mug — a face
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. toast — bread
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — hasty

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