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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — in sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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