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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — government
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. land — ground
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — a law
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — a measure

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