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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — a trace
  4. current — happening now
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a line
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — to fit
  12. current — electric
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — of water
  22. land — a country
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — ground

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