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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. field — for sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — to handle
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pit — a hole

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