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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bass — the fish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. race — a contest
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. swing — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mine — for digging
  23. race — humankind
  24. mug — a face

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