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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a lid
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — in music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pop — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — a break
  24. root — of a plant

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