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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: content · field · saw · bore · sharp · chip · hide · current

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — the amount
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — electric
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — to eat

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