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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rule — a law
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — to paddle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. capital — money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. capital — a city
  24. ball — a dance

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