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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — to handle
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. land — ground
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a music group
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rock — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — a practice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — a strongbox

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