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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — a safe
  4. track — a song
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — a break
  7. firm — steady
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — the month
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. firm — decided

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