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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — a country
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — all right
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — ground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — a penalty

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