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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — a country
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — crushed
  17. deal — to handle
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pound — a weight
  24. staff — employees

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