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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — on the calendar

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