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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — in a race
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — for sport
  18. staff — a stick
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — for dogs

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