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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 124 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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — hurry
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — a subject
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — a safe
  23. field — for sport
  24. chip — in a computer

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