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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · racket · chip · bore · field · mine · deal · stand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. racket — for tennis

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