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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — a country
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — to come down
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. land — ground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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