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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — humankind
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. present — there
  16. race — the arms race
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — the time now
  19. race — a contest
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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