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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stand — to bear

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