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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · mine · land · rest · bound · fan · root · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — the cause
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rest — a break
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bound — certain
  14. land — ground
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. land — a country

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