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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rule — government
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rule — a law
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — there
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. game — wild animals
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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