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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. deal — to handle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. season — of the year
  7. object — a thing
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a lid
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cap — of ice
  22. object — to protest
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bear — to put up with

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