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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
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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: field · fall · key · game · chip · land · bowl · foot

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. key — in music
  4. land — a country
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — farmland
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fall — the season
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — for a lock

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