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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — the month
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — certain
  9. club — a group
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — the fish
  18. march — the month
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. march — music
  22. land — ground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — a tin

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