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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. last — to go on
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. present — there
  14. last — final
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. last — finally
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — the time now
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spell — magic

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