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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rule — government
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. court — of a king
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — the cause
  15. court — of law
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — wild animals
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rule — a law
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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