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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. land — to come down
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bore — to tire
  19. content — the amount
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ground — crushed

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