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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — ground
  13. ball — a dance
  14. club — for dancing
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — to come down
  24. current — electric

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