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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — a subject
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. field — farmland
  24. bear — to put up with

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