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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: field · firm · roll · chip · lean · game · rush · trunk

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. game — a match
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — farmland

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