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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — to protest
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — the amount
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — the cause
  18. object — an aim
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. object — a thing
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — of a word

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