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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chip — to eat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — for betting
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bat — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. season — in sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a face

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