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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — to bend
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — for sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — in cards
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lean — thin
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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