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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rule — a law
  3. root — the cause
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. file — a line of people
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — government
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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