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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mark — a trace
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. row — a line
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — rain
  17. march — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a grade

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