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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a line
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — in music
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. field — a subject

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