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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — ground
  4. root — the cause
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — a country
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wake — a trail
  22. land — to come down
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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