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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 124 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. rule — a law
  11. spring — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rock — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. land — ground
  24. branch — a division

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