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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cue — a hint

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