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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — a country
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — shares
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. land — to come down
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. roll — a list
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stock — goods
  24. roll — a cake

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