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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — ground
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kid — child
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — a phone
  15. land — a country
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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