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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — for betting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — in cards
  11. field — farmland
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — for baseball

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