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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. drill — a practice
  9. degree — from a university
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. field — for sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — all right
  19. field — a subject
  20. chip — to eat
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. field — farmland

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