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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: bowl · racket · chip · stem · charge · pit · row · field

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. field — a subject
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a line
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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