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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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