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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · deal · field · cap · leaves · ground · land · pass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — for sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. field — a subject
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ball — a round shape

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