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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chip — for betting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — steady
  8. field — for sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. fine — all right
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. coach — a trainer

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