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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a music group
  13. kid — child
  14. foot — a measure
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. field — farmland
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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