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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — in cards
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — to go away

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