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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — a thing
  5. fork — in a road
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — to paddle
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. object — an aim
  23. rule — government
  24. root — of a plant

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