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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. shower — rain
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ball — a great time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — to wash

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