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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — ground
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of law
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — a country

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