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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kid — child
  5. mug — a cup
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. present — there
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — to eat
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — of the year
  20. deal — to handle
  21. march — music
  22. present — the time now
  23. mug — a face
  24. track — a path

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