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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — for sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — ground
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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