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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — there
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — a position
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — to come down

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