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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — crushed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ground — a position
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. field — for sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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