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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — happy
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — to come down
  14. field — for sport
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — a subject
  21. land — a country
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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