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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. land — ground
  15. capital — money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. plane — an aircraft

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