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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hand — in cards
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — the earth
  24. march — music

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