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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — government
  4. root — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — to wash
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — rain
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rule — a law

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