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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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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — a tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. club — a group
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. club — for golf

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