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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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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 · straw · firm · ruler · chip · deal · mark · bat

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — decided
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. deal — an agreement

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