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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — help
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — shares
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. present — there
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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