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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. key — in music
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — a cup
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — to go on
  22. land — to come down
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bay — a horse colour

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