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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rule — a law
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — all right
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — government

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