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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — of the year
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — a list
  18. kid — child
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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