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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. race — the arms race
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — a contest
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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