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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. net — after costs
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — to handle

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