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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: land · lean · pop · wave · track · bound · field · key

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — a subject
  3. track — a path
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — to come down
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pop — to visit
  23. track — a song
  24. key — the most important part

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