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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mug — a face
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a cup
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — to rob
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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