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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — shares
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — to come down
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hide — to keep secret

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