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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — the season
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — a thing
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — government
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — tied together
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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