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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — clever
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — of a word
  5. game — a match
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — a grade
  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