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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — ground
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pound — a weight

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