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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — of the year
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — in sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — to handle

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