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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. net — after costs
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — in sport
  11. clip — for paper
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. date — the fruit
  19. clip — a video
  20. stand — to bear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. land — a country
  24. staff — a stick

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