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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — farmland
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. march — music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — happening now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. field — a subject

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