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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. root — of a word
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. land — ground
  15. court — of law
  16. pop — to visit
  17. key — in music
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. land — a country
  24. leaves — to go away

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