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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 120 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: suit · leaves · field · pitcher · chip · land · chair · bank

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — to eat
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — of a river
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — ground
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chip — for betting
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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