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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kid — child
  3. drill — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. land — to come down
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — army training
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — a price
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ball — a great time

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