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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. file — a line of people
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — steady
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — to eat
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a document
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — decided
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — to handle

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