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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — to come down
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cold — not warm
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — in cards
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. cold — an illness
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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