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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — farmland
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. race — a contest
  8. chip — to eat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. race — humankind
  14. scale — in music
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

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