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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — a law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rule — government
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — the cause
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. drill — army training
  24. court — of law

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