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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. land — ground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. land — to come down
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — in music
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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