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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. land — to come down
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — a country
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — ground
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. mate — to breed
  18. root — the cause
  19. sharp — clever
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — to visit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mate — a partner

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