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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — a signal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cue — a hint
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — for betting
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cue — for pool
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the fish

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