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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — ground
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — to come down
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — a country
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — to be able to
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. root — the cause

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