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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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. swing — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — to eat
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fork — in a road

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