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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — a gift
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — there
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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