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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. land — a country
  4. cap — a lid
  5. land — to come down
  6. spell — magic
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the sport
  9. staff — a stick
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — of water
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spring — the season
  15. ground — the earth
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — a position
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — letters
  24. land — ground

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