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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — the tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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