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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. land — to come down
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — to go on
  23. club — for golf
  24. staff — a stick

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