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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a match
  14. rule — government
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a face
  17. land — ground
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a hat

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