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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — in control
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — shares
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — goods

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