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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a document
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — goods
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — farmland
  24. leaves — of a tree

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