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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — a gift
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — to eat
  14. present — there
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — the time now

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