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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — farmland
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. shower — rain
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — to wash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — a committee

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