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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lean — to bend
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — ground
  10. track — a path
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — to eat
  21. content — the amount
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — happy
  24. lean — to rest against

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