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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 · squash · chip · object · stand · net · mug · cap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. field — for sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — an aim
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — a thing
  12. net — after costs
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — in sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — a lid
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — to protest

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