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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. object — a thing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. land — a country
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. object — an aim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. field — farmland
  15. land — ground
  16. suit — to fit
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. field — a subject
  24. land — to come down

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