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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — clever
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. land — a country
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — completely
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — ground

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