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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — music
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bat — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — a country
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bat — for baseball
  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