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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chest — a box
  7. firm — decided
  8. chest — of your body
  9. firm — steady
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — a company
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a great time
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — happy
  19. suit — in cards
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a dance

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