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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — a hole
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — for betting
  7. field — a subject
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for golf
  11. date — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — a group
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. field — farmland
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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