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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chip — to eat

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