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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — government
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — a law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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