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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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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — wild animals
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. net — for catching

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