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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. season — of the year
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — final
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chip — for betting
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — for catching
  15. chip — to eat
  16. season — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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