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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — music
  6. season — in sport
  7. club — a group
  8. land — to come down
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. game — a match
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — ground
  24. club — for dancing

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