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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — to come down
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rush — hurry
  23. toast — bread
  24. kick — with a leg

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