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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — ground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. root — of a word
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. charge — electricity
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — high quality
  17. charge — in control
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — in cards

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