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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — completely
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — farmland
  12. date — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — a partner
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — for betting

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