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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — in a road
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — ground
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. file — a document
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rock — music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — happy

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