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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. swing — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — low music
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

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