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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — part of the head
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — for catching
  20. face — to confront
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — high quality
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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