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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — in sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. field — farmland
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — for sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. field — a subject
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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