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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chip — for betting
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. craft — boats
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a song
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — for sport
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — to eat
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cell — in biology

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