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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kick — in football
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — ground
  21. key — for a lock
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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