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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. land — a country
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. cap — a lid
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. field — a subject
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. object — a thing
  23. cap — a hat
  24. game — a match

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