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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — to paddle
  6. face — part of the head
  7. march — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. face — to confront
  13. club — a group
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. present — there
  17. march — the month
  18. season — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — a line
  24. season — of the year

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