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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 120 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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. land — ground
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — to play on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. net — for catching
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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