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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. land — ground
  3. bound — tied together
  4. land — a country
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bound — certain
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bark — to shout
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. field — a subject
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. land — to come down
  23. mug — a face
  24. deal — a big deal

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