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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — the tool
  19. field — farmland
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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