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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — a company
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — clever
  16. firm — decided
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hand — help
  21. pass — a permit
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. firm — steady

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