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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rule — government
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — the cause
  19. season — of the year
  20. club — a group
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. club — for dancing
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chair — a leader

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