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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — soda
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — in cards
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rest — a break

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