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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — music
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. present — the time now
  9. land — ground
  10. march — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. charge — a price
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a word

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