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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — after costs
  5. root — the cause
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — government
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — to rule out

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