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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · mine · pass · mark · cabinet · jam · firm · row

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — steady
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. firm — a company
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — a line
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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