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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. present — a gift
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — soda
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spring — a coil
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — music
  18. spring — the season
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — there
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — electricity

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