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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. mate — a friend
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a partner
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  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