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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a path
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — a cup
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — the cause
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — ground
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — the tool

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