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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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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. drill — army training
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitch — completely
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — a country
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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