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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — the fruit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. swing — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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