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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — for digging
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — to handle
  14. season — in sport
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — letters
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. spell — a short time

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