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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — bread
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. prune — to trim

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