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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rule — a law
  3. key — the most important part
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — government
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chest — of your body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. key — for a lock
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — the cause
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a song
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — clever

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