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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — steady
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitch — completely
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — in sport
  24. row — a line

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