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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 · pound · court · can · saw · chip · mate · bass

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — farmland
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — to eat
  22. field — a subject
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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