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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — farmland
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chip — for betting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bank — of a river
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. last — final
  24. perch — the fish

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