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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — to handle
  13. present — the time now
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. present — there
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — a skill
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pound — a weight
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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