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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. land — ground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. land — a country
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — the season
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. dip — to sink
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. game — a match
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — a sauce

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