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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a line of people
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — of a word
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — a committee
  11. file — a document
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a trace
  14. land — ground
  15. squash — the sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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