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

Word bank: season · pit · chip · mate · court · rock · roll · pound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — a weight
  5. court — for sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rock — a stone
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. season — of the year

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