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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. last — finally
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. last — final
  20. snap — to click
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — ground
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — a partner

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