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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — in sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — to fit
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a trace
  24. firm — decided

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