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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a trace
  14. land — ground
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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