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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — a price
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. charge — in control

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