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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — to recline
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — clever

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