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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. field — a subject
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — farmland
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rule — government
  24. root — the cause

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