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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — farmland
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. field — a subject
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. field — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — a measure
  24. deal — to handle

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