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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — a practice
  8. firm — a company
  9. present — the time now
  10. drill — army training
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. firm — steady
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pit — in a race
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. mug — a face
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pit — a hole
  23. present — there
  24. suit — in cards

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