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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — happening now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — to come down
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — a series
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — hasty

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