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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — tied together
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. band — a ring
  8. key — the most important part
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — for betting
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. field — a subject
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — obliged
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. field — farmland

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