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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. band — a ring
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rule — government
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. foot — a measure
  13. present — there
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kick — in football
  16. land — to come down
  17. pound — a weight
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — ground
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of a car

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