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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 116 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: bay · land · saw · race · pitcher · mouse · trunk · firm

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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