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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a path
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. degree — an amount
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — a song
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. degree — temperature
  24. leaves — lets stay

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