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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — bread
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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