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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. roll — a list
  3. land — to come down
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — ground
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — the season
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. roll — a cake
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lean — thin

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