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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. shower — rain
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — low music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — with your hand

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