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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — a country
  5. mug — a cup
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a face
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — all right

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