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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — to eat
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — for betting
  12. date — the fruit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. staff — a stick
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rash — hasty
  17. field — farmland
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rash — a series

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