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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mate — a friend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stock — goods
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cell — in a prison

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