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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — final
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a line
  24. land — ground

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