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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — for sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pop — music
  19. object — an aim
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — to protest

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