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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — to eat
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. field — for sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — a container
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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