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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — to come down
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — to protest
  23. field — farmland
  24. land — a country

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