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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — government
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — to recline
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lie — an untruth
  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