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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rash — a series
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — crushed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. craft — boats
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — hasty
  24. craft — a skill

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