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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — of the year
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lean — to bend
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. file — a tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a document
  24. object — to protest

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