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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cap — a hat
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — a lid
  24. land — to come down

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