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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — in golf
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — of the year
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — farmland
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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