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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. cap — a hat
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — a partner
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — the most important part
  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