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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — a city
  7. key — the most important part
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. key — for a lock
  18. land — ground
  19. track — a path
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. branch — a division

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