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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a face
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — humankind
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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