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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. root — of a word
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. row — a line
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — final
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — in a race
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — of a plant
  23. last — finally
  24. fine — all right

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