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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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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. land — ground
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — the time now
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — to come down
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — a subject
  16. present — there
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rock — music
  21. present — a gift
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — in music

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