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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. land — a country
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. land — ground
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — to come down
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. field — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fan — a supporter

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