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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — to breed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kid — child
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — the amount
  9. march — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. land — to come down
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — ground
  24. firm — a company

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