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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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Word bank
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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: tear · ball · firm · suit · scale · bay · mine · land

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. firm — decided
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — to rip
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — to fit
  24. firm — steady

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