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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — ground
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. land — a country
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — in sport

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