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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — ground
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. land — to come down
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. present — there
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — a group
  14. present — a gift
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — the time now
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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