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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — for betting
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — a weight
  6. land — to come down
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cue — for pool
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — to bear

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