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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.

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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: leaves · field · pit · chip · ruler · mouse · chest · fine

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — to eat
  6. field — for sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. field — farmland
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fine — all right
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — high quality

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