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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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