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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. staff — employees

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