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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — boats
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — in music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — ground
  13. object — to protest
  14. charge — in control
  15. root — of a word
  16. object — an aim
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — electricity
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a ring
  21. object — a thing
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — for a lock

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