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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. field — farmland
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. current — electric
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. arm — part of the body

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