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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. rest — what's left
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — to eat
  5. field — farmland
  6. ground — a position
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — a subject
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. ground — the earth
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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