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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — in music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — government
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — a line
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rule — a 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