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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — for sport
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — ground
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — for pool
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — farmland
  22. club — for dancing
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — a tin

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