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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — a tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — for sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — ground

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