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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. land — to come down
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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