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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — in a race
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mouse — for a computer

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