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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a hole
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — final
  13. swing — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — finally
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cell — in biology
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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