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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — there
  10. land — to come down
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — the time now
  24. perch — the fish

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