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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · stand · hand · track · jam · land · craft · suit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. row — a line
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — a path
  5. suit — clothes
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — boats
  11. row — to paddle
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a song
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — help
  21. suit — in cards
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — to come down

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