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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — to come down
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. land — ground
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — a break
  19. land — a country
  20. present — a gift
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — there

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