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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — soda
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. land — ground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — music

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