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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. court — for sport
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — a law
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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