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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — a company
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — decided
  9. land — a country
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — ground
  14. last — final
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — steady
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. last — finally

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