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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. root — of a word
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — the most important part
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a plant
  16. track — a song
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — government
  21. root — the cause
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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