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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a hat
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — for digging
  6. season — in sport
  7. rule — government
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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