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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — the time now
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — a gift
  9. bank — of a river
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — to come down
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. land — ground
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — exactly

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