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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a friend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rule — a law
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — to breed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — to get on
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — government

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