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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. field — for sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — farmland
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — a face
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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