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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chip — to eat
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chip — for betting
  13. field — farmland
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — for sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — a practice
  24. leaves — of a tree

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