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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. land — ground
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — a country
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitch — completely
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fine — high quality
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. temple — a place of worship

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