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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — in cards
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — to fit
  7. root — of a word
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. root — of a plant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. shower — rain
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. suit — clothes
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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