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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: fine · jam · ground · roll · wake · staff · land · kid

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — all right
  8. ground — crushed
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — a position
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. land — ground
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — a list
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. kid — to tease
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fine — high quality
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. land — to come down
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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