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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. present — a gift
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  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