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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. land — a country
  3. race — a contest
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal

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