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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a dance
  3. present — a gift
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — to come down
  10. march — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. firm — steady
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — the month
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — there
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — a group
  22. land — ground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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