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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — a thing
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pop — music
  9. present — a gift
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — a friend
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. present — there
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — to breed
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pound — a weight

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