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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — the sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a trace
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — for digging

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