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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. field — a subject
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. field — farmland

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