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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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 — in a computer
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — in a road
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — for sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. field — farmland
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — in football
  23. chip — to eat
  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