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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — a thing
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. court — for sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — happening now
  14. object — to protest
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. court — of law
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — help
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a horse colour

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