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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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