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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 120 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're almost out of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — a country
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — music
  24. cap — a hat

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