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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — of a word
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bass — the fish
  8. root — the cause
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rule — government
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — low music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — to rule out

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