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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a face
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — to rob

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