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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — a law
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — the cause
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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