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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — steady
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. drill — a practice
  8. key — for a lock
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. sharp — clever
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. land — ground

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