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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. season — of the year
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. file — a document
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a face
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pound — a weight
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cell — a phone
  24. file — a tool

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