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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a path
  23. fine — all right
  24. chip — to eat

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