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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a signal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. land — ground
  20. ground — a position
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bore — gave birth

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