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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — in a race
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a hole
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — employees

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