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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. root — of a plant
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — exactly

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