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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pitch — completely
  9. last — to go on
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cell — a phone

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