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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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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: jam · chip · wave · cold · pitcher · rash · root · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — farmland
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — of a word

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