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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. land — a country
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. capital — a city
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — to come down
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — ground
  12. capital — money
  13. firm — a company
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — a thing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — steady
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. root — of a word

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