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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — the tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. scale — size or range
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — electricity

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