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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — farmland
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. chair — a leader
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — after costs
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bank — of a river
  22. field — for sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. staff — a stick

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