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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — a country
  5. squash — the sport
  6. club — a group
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for golf
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — a practice
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — to eat

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