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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — to come down
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — high quality
  10. present — there
  11. fine — all right
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — of water
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — a country
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — ground
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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