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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — a line
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — a hat
  14. suit — to fit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. field — farmland
  24. wake — before a funeral

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