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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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