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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 116 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: pitcher · land · cap · tube · cell · root · ball · leaves

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cell — in biology

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