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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. march — the month
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — music
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — for baseball

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