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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. deal — to handle
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. clip — a video
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — to come down
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — a garden tool

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