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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — in football
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — a country
  5. field — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — a price
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. race — a contest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. land — ground
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. race — humankind
  21. wind — moving air
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — electricity

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