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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — farmland
  15. pop — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — there
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. field — a subject
  24. chip — to eat

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