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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — boats
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — ground
  17. pit — in a race
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — of a bank

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