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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — government
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. land — ground
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — low music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. can — a tin

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