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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — a country
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. key — the most important part
  9. deal — to handle
  10. scale — in music
  11. kick — in football
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — of water
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. land — to come down
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — ground
  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