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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — in music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. key — the most important part
  16. land — ground
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — lets stay

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