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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — for sport

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