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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. tube — a container
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. land — ground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fork — in a road
  16. land — to come down
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — of a word
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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