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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — a company
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — a hat
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. net — in sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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