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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — a price
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — ground
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. swing — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kid — child
  22. pound — a weight
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — to come down

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