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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. club — for golf
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — for dancing
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — the cause
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rule — government
  18. toast — bread
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a word
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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