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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — to handle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — in football
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — farmland
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. land — to come down
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kick — with a leg

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