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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. 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. row — to paddle
  2. field — a subject
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — for sport
  8. last — finally
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — farmland
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bound — obliged
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — final
  17. staff — a stick
  18. 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