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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — to come down
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — in geometry

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