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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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Word bank
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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: staff · mine · land · fine · fan · trunk · roll · rock

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fine — all right
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. roll — a list
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. land — to come down
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — ground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rock — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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