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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · land · field · object · saw · pass · rule · pound

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — a country
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — for sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — to come down
  12. rule — a law
  13. field — a subject
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — a container
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. land — ground

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