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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — bread
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — in control
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — a subject
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a plant
  17. charge — a price
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — for betting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. toast — the most admired

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