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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pop — to visit
  3. root — of a word
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. track — a path
  12. rule — a law
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — to come down

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