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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ground — a position
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — the earth
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — crushed
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — ground
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. track — to keep track

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