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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. land — ground
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ground — a position

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