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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. land — a country
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — in sport
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — a committee

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