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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — in sport
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fine — all right
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. suit — clothes
  24. season — of the year

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