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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — for sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — in music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. club — a group
  16. stock — goods
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — the season
  24. prune — the fruit

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