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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pop — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bass — low music
  10. season — of the year
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — the cause
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rule — a law
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — soda
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — the fish

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