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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. object — to protest
  20. land — ground
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — on your feet

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