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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. land — a country
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. last — final
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. nail — for a hammer

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