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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tube — a container
  3. pit — a hole
  4. club — for golf
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. press — a publisher
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — to come down
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — to push
  19. land — ground
  20. press — newspapers
  21. firm — a company
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tube — the underground

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