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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for dancing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mark — a grade

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