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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — ground
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. march — the month
  14. land — a country
  15. key — in music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — a trail
  21. key — the most important part
  22. land — to come down
  23. key — for a lock
  24. root — of a plant

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