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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: fan · pass · land · foot · content · rock · mine · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rock — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — a country
  13. mine — for digging
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — a stone

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