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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a document
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — ground
  11. rest — a break
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — a price

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