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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — ground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — obliged
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — the bottom

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