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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — hasty
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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