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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — for sport
  11. game — a match
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — electricity
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — farmland
  24. chip — in a computer

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