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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — a stone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — music
  17. land — a country
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wound — an injury

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