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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — a phone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. root — the cause
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — a trainer

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