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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mine — for digging
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — music
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — a country
  24. lean — to bend

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