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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. land — ground
  5. net — for catching
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — to protest
  15. land — a country
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — to come down
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — after costs
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — farmland
  24. net — in 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