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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kid — child
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — a price
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. land — to come down
  8. bore — to drill
  9. toast — bread
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — ground
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — a position

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