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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. field — a subject
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. field — for sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — farmland
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. track — to keep track
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — a path
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — of a word

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