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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rule — a law
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a word
  14. rule — government
  15. root — the cause
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — 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