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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — thin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. band — a ring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — a country
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — for sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — to come down
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — 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