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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — to go on
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — finally
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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