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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: march · fall · staff · rush · season · track · ball · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a song
  3. season — in sport
  4. march — the month
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — to keep track
  11. staff — employees
  12. track — a path
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. march — music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. march — the month
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — to eat

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