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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitch — completely
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. rule — government
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — of the year
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pop — music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — the bottom

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