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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. court — of a king
  3. fork — in a road
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. field — a subject
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. court — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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