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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. swing — music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — a break
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — in golf
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. season — in sport
  24. chip — for betting

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