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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 116 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: chip · field · rush · deal · squash · fine · saw · net

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. deal — to handle
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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