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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. land — a country
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — money
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. capital — a city
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ball — a great time
  24. chair — a leader

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