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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. shower — rain
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — goods
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. roll — a list
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — thin

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