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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — for pool
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — money
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. season — to add flavour

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