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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — decided
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. firm — steady
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — a weight
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a trace
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — a company
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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