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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — the fruit
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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