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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — to come from
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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