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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bound — tied together
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ground — a position
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — the earth

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