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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · object · field · arm · present · chip · can · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — to protest
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — there
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — a subject
  15. object — a thing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — an aim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. can — a tin

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