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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — a gift
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — there
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — high quality
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — the time now
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a face
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. spell — a short time

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