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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — for golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — a group
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — to be able to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — a country

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