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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — to come down
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a document
  20. current — electric
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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