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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — farmland
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. march — music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. chip — for betting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — to drop
  18. field — a subject
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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