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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a dance
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — thin
  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