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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. present — there
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. firm — decided
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. rule — government
  12. present — a gift
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — to grow
  18. firm — steady
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — the cause

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