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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. land — to come down
  5. suit — to fit
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. swing — in golf
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pit — a hole
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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