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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spell — a short time
  9. land — ground
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — a grade
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — all right

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