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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — a stone
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. craft — a skill
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rock — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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