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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 ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a word
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a hint
  10. current — happening now
  11. cue — a signal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — a series
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pop — soda
  24. root — the cause

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