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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — to breed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — for catching
  8. land — a country
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. track — a song
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of a tree

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