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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. mate — a friend
  7. march — the month
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. last — final
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — a path
  18. last — to go on
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mate — a partner
  24. track — to keep track

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