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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — ground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. plane — a tool

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