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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. land — ground
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. branch — a division
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a path
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — in the ear

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