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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — to come down
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a leader
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — a hint

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