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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — for betting
  7. field — a subject
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — government
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. capital — money
  19. season — in sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. field — farmland
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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