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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — farmland
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. field — for sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spell — magic
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. field — a subject
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — a short time

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