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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — to paddle
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. drill — the tool
  23. land — a country
  24. mine — belonging to me

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