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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — a partner
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — to come down
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mark — a trace

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