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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. fall — the season
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. land — to come down
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — ground
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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