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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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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: dip · bowl · fork · land · safe · root · toast · pop

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. land — to come down
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. land — ground
  13. toast — bread
  14. pop — to visit
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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