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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. land — to come down
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — a hole

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