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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — music
  5. kid — child
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — low music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — soda
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pop — to visit

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