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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. land — to come down
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — a country
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fork — a garden tool

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