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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stock — shares
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kid — to tease

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