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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — ground
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. can — a tin

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