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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — a series
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — to get on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — a permit
  12. field — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rash — hasty
  24. field — farmland

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