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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. land — to come down

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