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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chest — a box
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — of the year
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — to eat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chip — in a computer

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