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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — the time now
  8. degree — an amount
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. degree — from a university
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — for sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. suit — to fit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — temperature

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