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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. squash — to crush
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the vegetable

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