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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — the fruit
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — ground
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spell — letters
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spell — magic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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