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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. land — a country
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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