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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — a subject
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — for sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. field — farmland
  22. spell — a short time
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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