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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. current — of water
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — electric
  24. bowl — a football final

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