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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · date · ball · fan · field · cell · bowl · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — a subject
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. date — on the calendar

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