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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — of the year
  24. chip — for betting

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