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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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468
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — in football
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. degree — an amount
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. sharp — exactly

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