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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — a path
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — finally
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. track — a song

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