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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to click
  21. drill — army training
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — ground

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