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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — soda
  15. field — for sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. track — a song
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — music

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