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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — the cause
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a committee
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rule — government
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rule — a law
  22. row — a line
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. date — on the calendar

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