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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — to come down
  5. pop — soda
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — to visit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  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