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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. field — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pass — a permit
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. field — a subject
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — farmland
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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