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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — steady
  6. fine — high quality
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pop — to visit
  24. firm — decided

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