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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: land · fine · wake · bowl · bay · hide · pound · rule

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wake — a trail
  15. land — a country
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — a football final

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