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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — for catching
  19. land — to come down
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — in sport
  22. cap — a hat
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — a supporter

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