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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. field — farmland
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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