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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — boats
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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