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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — a country
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spring — a coil
  9. clip — for paper
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. charge — in control
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — ground
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. clip — a video
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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