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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chip — for betting
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — a thing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — the season
  24. trunk — of a tree

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