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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — clever
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. season — in sport
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — bread

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