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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — to come down
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — ground
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mate — to breed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ground — crushed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — a container
  24. mine — an explosive

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