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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. cold — not warm
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — electric
  17. toast — bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bulb — for light

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