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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bass — low music
  3. field — a subject
  4. kick — in football
  5. staff — a stick
  6. land — a country
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. roll — a cake
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rule — a law

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