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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. land — ground
  3. club — a group
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for golf
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. plane — in geometry

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