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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — a country
  3. kick — in football
  4. field — farmland
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — ground
  13. object — an aim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. field — for sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — to protest
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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