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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. root — the cause
  4. deal — to handle
  5. root — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mouse — the animal

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