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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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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — army training
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — ground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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