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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. charge — in control
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — final
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — finally
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — in a tire

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