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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. field — for sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — to bend
  6. field — a subject
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — in a road
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — farmland
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — thin
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — to come down

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