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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. land — ground
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. kick — in football
  14. last — finally
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — to come down
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — a country

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