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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — ground
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — electric
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pop — music
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — government
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — to handle
  19. land — a country
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rule — to rule out

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