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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — to get on
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — a committee
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — to come down
  23. current — of water
  24. land — ground

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