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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stock — goods
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a word
  19. stock — shares
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — a face

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