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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. field — a subject
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. track — a path
  19. field — farmland
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — clothes
  24. charge — a price

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