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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — for pool
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — a stone
  11. firm — decided
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — finally
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cue — a hint
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — final
  22. land — ground
  23. rock — music
  24. firm — a company

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