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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for golf
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. snap — to click
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. field — a subject
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — a group
  24. pass — to succeed

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