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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — a subject
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. field — for 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