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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — government
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rule — a law
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. root — of a word

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