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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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. wave — a sudden rise
  4. capital — a city
  5. toast — bread
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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