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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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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: field · march · date · deal · chip · can · cue · racket

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. can — a tin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a signal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — a subject
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — music
  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