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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. key — in music
  2. land — a country
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — to come down
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — for digging
  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