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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — for sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. file — a document
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pitch — completely
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. field — a subject

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