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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 · bat · ground · mine · mark · saw · firm · cabinet

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — ground
  13. ground — a position
  14. firm — decided
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — for digging

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