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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — for betting
  7. content — the amount
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. toast — bread
  23. field — for sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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