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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.

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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. swing — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chip — for betting
  13. field — for sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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