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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 go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — a gift
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — there
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — ground
  22. present — the time now
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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