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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. date — the fruit
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. land — ground
  24. jam — in traffic

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