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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — a subject
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — farmland
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. date — the fruit
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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