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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — to handle
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stock — goods
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. date — the fruit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stock — shares
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stock — a soup base

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