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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — all right
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a path
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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