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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — a subject
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wave — of the sea

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