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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. land — a country
  4. net — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — for catching
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — after costs
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — an illness
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. land — to come down
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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