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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. field — for sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. field — farmland
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — of the leg

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