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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fine — high quality
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pit — a hole
  17. land — ground
  18. track — a path
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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