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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — music
  8. march — the month
  9. board — a committee
  10. root — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. march — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — hasty
  20. root — of a word
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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