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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bat — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — a trace
  17. craft — boats
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mark — to pay attention

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