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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chip — to eat
  14. field — a subject
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — for betting
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — gave birth
  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