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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: cell · chip · ruler · saw · racket · firm · field · hide

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. field — farmland
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — a phone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — steady
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — a subject
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. firm — a company
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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