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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: deal · jam · field · arm · chip · kick · rock · roll

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — music
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chip — to eat
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — farmland
  24. kick — with a leg

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