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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. game — a kind of play
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — wild animals
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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