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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — letters
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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