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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — a division
  5. land — a country
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pound — a weight
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. root — of a word
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. root — the cause
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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