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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. land — to come down
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. land — ground
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. toast — bread
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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