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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. root — of a word
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. land — ground
  5. staff — a stick
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. land — a country
  12. root — the cause
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. toast — bread
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cell — in a prison

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