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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. field — for sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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