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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. land — ground
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — to sink
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — wild animals

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