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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — of law
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — for sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bear — the animal

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