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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. degree — from a university
  12. net — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. net — after costs
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. degree — an amount
  23. net — for catching
  24. season — in sport

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