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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a song
  5. game — a match
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — of a king
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — there
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. court — of law
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — to keep track
  21. present — a gift
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — to eat with

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