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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — ground
  7. root — of a word
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — a committee
  13. cell — in biology
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. land — a country
  18. can — to be able to
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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