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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — a country
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a song
  5. board — to get on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. field — a subject
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — ground
  23. field — farmland
  24. land — to come down

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