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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a committee
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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