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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: jam · land · object · can · rule · hand · arm · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — ground
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — to come down
  7. rule — government
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. can — to be able to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — a line
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — in cards
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hand — help

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