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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. present — there
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — to come down
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stock — goods
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — to handle
  24. swing — music

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