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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. land — ground
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a lid
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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