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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. field — farmland
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. fall — the season
  21. bat — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — for sport

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