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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — the cause
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — to visit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — a law
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — a lid

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