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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — a division
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. land — a country
  6. track — a path
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — ground
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. track — a song
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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