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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. cue — a signal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — ground
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — of a word

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