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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. mug — a face
  13. drill — army training
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — to eat

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