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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. race — a contest
  2. can — a tin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. field — a subject
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — farmland
  22. race — the arms race
  23. charge — in control
  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