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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. land — a country
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — farmland
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — to come down
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — to handle

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