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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — the tool

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