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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a hole
  18. swing — to play on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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