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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — a stone
  5. land — to come down
  6. content — happy
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — to tire
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — in sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — decided
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — a trail

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