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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — ground
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — to come down
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — of the sea

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