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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bass — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — a friend

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