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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. firm — steady
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — to eat
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — for sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — of water
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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