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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — of water
  11. season — of the year
  12. race — a contest
  13. tube — a container
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — in sport
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. race — humankind

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