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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. field — a subject
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chip — for betting
  23. board — a committee
  24. rush — hurry

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