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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · season · pit · ground · chip · spell · foot · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rash — a series
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. season — of the year
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — a position
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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