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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — bread
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. content — the amount
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — a thing
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — army training
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — of a plant
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. drill — a practice
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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