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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. land — ground
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. board — to get on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. land — a country
  15. mug — a face
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — low music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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