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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a trace
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. scale — in music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — to come down
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. land — ground

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