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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — wild animals
  18. row — a line
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — a law
  21. game — a match
  22. rule — government
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — for money

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