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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. track — a song
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. track — a path
  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