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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 120 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: game · field · track · chip · wax · coach · lean · sharp

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. game — a match
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lean — to bend
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — farmland
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — a subject
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — for sport

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