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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 124 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. land — a country
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — of a tree

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