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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of law
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — a path
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — of a king
  17. land — ground
  18. track — a song
  19. court — for sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. toast — bread

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