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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 116 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: root · pit · wave · court · chip · field · swing · last

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — for sport
  7. swing — music
  8. last — to go on
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — in a race
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — finally
  13. field — a subject
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — the cause
  16. swing — to play on
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — a hole
  22. last — final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. swing — in golf

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