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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — to come down
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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