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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — to be able to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — for betting

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