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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — certain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. land — to come down
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mark — a grade

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