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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — to come down
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. rock — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. march — the month
  18. land — ground
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — a stone

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