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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. content — the amount
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — a friend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rock — music
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — a country
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. row — a line

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