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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — high quality
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — thin

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