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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — to protest
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chair — a leader
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — completely
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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