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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — the time now
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. present — a gift
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. file — a line of people
  20. present — there
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. field — farmland
  24. branch — a division

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