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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — child
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — in sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bank — of a river
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — to tease
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. swing — to play on

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