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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — soda
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. field — farmland
  20. land — a country
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — music
  24. content — the amount

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