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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — government
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — in football
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — ground
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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