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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — for dancing
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. land — ground

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