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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ball — a dance
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — tied together
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — ground

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