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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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468
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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — there
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. object — an aim
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. cell — a phone

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