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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — for sport
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — to paddle
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lie — to recline
  16. field — farmland
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. swing — to play on

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