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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — in music
  8. land — ground
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — shares
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — a country

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